Seminole County wasn't only district to miss education grant deadline

The Seminole County school district wasn't the only one reconsidering its Race to the Top decision after the state's Jan. 12 deadline.

Other districts, including Broward County's, were still waffling on whether to join Florida's efforts to win $1.1 billion in the competitive, federal grant program.

But they were not able to join late, as Seminole was. That raised questions – at least from some educators in Broward – about whether Seminole got special treatment.

No, said the Florida Department of Education. Seminole got in because while it was late, it got its paperwork to Tallahassee on Friday, while there was still time to include county data in the state's application.

The other seven districts that had not sent in their paperwork by the deadline were told they could still be included, if they sent it in by Monday, said Tom Butler, department spokesman.. Broward was given the same message, during weekend discussions with Smith and his staff.

But Broward administrators said they couldn't make a final decision until Tuesday — and that was simply too late, Butler said. The application was due in Washington, D.C. by 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, so there wasn't time to re-do Florida's package that afternoon to include Broward data.

"It really does come down to a time issue," Butler said, and Tuesday was too far past deadline.

Broward School Board Maureen Dinnen had a different take, according to the ( Fort Lauderdale) Sun-Sentinel. "I am so upset with these people," she said. "I wouldn't buy a used car from them."

But Butler said that If Broward or others had turned in the paperwork just a day earlier, "we would have worked tirelessly to get them involved."